Of Broadway Girls And Lip Rings
by justawonderingsoul
Summary: Rachel needs a roommate. Quinn needs a place to live.


**Authors Note:** I don't know guys, I'm trying out some stuff. God help us.

* * *

Rachel tapped her foot on the floor rhythmically. Everything she does is rhythmical, so there is no surprise. But what is surprising, is that she is nervous. Incredibly so.

She was meeting her potential new roommate for the first time. The girl named Quinn Fabray, 22 years old, just moved to New York city due to transfer to NYU, reasons still unknown. What she was studying was unknown too. Basically, everything beside her name and age was unknown and Rachel was about to jump out of her skin. She needed information. She needed facts. She was not good with unknown. She hated being unprepared.

They were meeting in some cozy, second grade cafe with smoky lights and black as dominating color, so even if it's only four o'clock, you had a feeling it's past midnight. Cafe was named 'Hole In The Wall'. It took half an hour of searching around the block and asking four strangers for directions before she finally spotted it. She pulled her purse closer to herself and looked around.

Okay, so, she could see the appeal. They were playing early jazz with a slow rhythm and soothing baritone of artist she didn't recognize, but could appreciate. The room was fairly small, there were maybe six tables strategically placed around and two booths filling the corners. Rachel was occupying a two person table close to the exist. Just in case.

She wondered what this was telling about Quinn. Was she some laid back, relaxed girl who listened to slow blues and jazz all day without a worry in the world? Was she unreliable? Was she comfortable with herself? How the hell did she found this…this…hole in the wall?

She jumped in her seat when she heard someone clearing their throat beside her. This bar looked exactly like a place where mafia bosses would meet. She could already see herself taken as a hostage and then being forced to go to Hawaii inside of some kind of a box in a boat, Madagascar style. She looked up only to see pair of strikingly green eyes looking back at her.

The guy looked around her age. He had messy, black hair and freckles all around his face. His smile was crooked and his eyes were playful. Before she knew it, she was smiling back.

He reminded her of Alex.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to scare you. Is there anything I can get for you?" He asked politely and Rachel was confused. What? She furrowed her brows and looked down at him, only then noticing the tray in his hands. He was a waiter. She really needed to get a hold over herself.

"Oh, no, thank you. I'm just waiting for my…" She trailed off. She was waiting for her what? Friend? Certainly not. Acquaintance? You could hardly call that someone you had only a one minute over-the-phone conversation. Boy tilted his head at her.

Thankfully, she was saved by…pink haired girl?

Out of all things she expected, this was not one of them. Across from her was now sitting a girl with a shoulder length pink hair, completely messy, few black and blond strands peeking trough. She was wearing black lather jacket and ripped off black tank top with a print of white cross turned upside down over it. There was a red bandana wrapped around her wrist and her nails were painted dark purple.

Rachel started blinking rapidly, feeling like she was about to pass out.

And then suddenly much needed air filled her lungs and she realized she forgot to breathe.

She quickly closed her mouth and returned her eyes to the girl's face, thankful that girl's attention was on the waiter, rather then on her.

Boy smiled at her. "Quinn."

"Adrian."

After Rachel processed the fact that yes indeed, this was her Quinn, girl who was her potential roommate, she noticed the huskiness of her voice. It was soulful and she immediately found herself being drawn to it. Voices were her thing.

"The usual?"

"As always." And then slowly, almost lazily, Quinn removed her eyes from the boy and locked them with Rachel's.

And if Rachel thought that boy's, or, well, Adrian's eyes were pretty, this was a whole new level of prettiness. There were gold freckles surrounded by green orbs and Rachel felt like they could see in her soul. It made her uncomfortable.

And was that a ring on her lip?

Rachel cleared her throat and shifted in her seat.

"Just an apple juice, please."

Adrian scribbled down in his little notepad and nodded, going away.

Rachel looked back at Quinn, only to find her already staring back. Quinn reached forward, offering her hand.

"Quinn Fabray."

Rachel shook it, still fascinated with the way her lip ring moved when she talked. "Rachel Berry."

Rachel wasn't sure what she expected pink girl to say next, but Quinn didn't continue. She just kept looking at her, expressionless.

Rachel cleared her throat. She shifted in her seat to get to her bag and pulled out a sheet of paper from it.

For this part, she was prepared.

She smiled as Adrian returned with their drinks and noticed that Quinn was drinking tea. And was now staring at the pile of paper, her eyes suspicious. She looked like FBI undercover agent.

Watching her every move.

Rachel neatly organized papers in three small piles and took a sip of her apple juice before speaking.

"So, I feel like if we are going to live together, we should get to know each other beforehand, so there would be no surprises. If we end up living together." She quickly added, making no promises. She was still suspicious about that ring. And four thousand earings in her ear. "The first pile are standard questions, like your name and age and occupations. The second one is filled with more personal questions, like your favorite color and what would you do if you saw cat abandoned on the street. And third pile is about your living habits, questions like 'Do you clean…"'

"Are you seriously expecting me to answer all of that?" Quinn interrupted, her hand gesturing wildly to the papers.

Rachel didn't miss a beat. "Yes. Now, I will give you a pen and you…"

"No."

"What?"

"I'm not answering all of that."

"Why not?" Rachel knew she was criminal. She just knew it. She eyed the exist.

"Because that is ridiculous and you don't need my whole life story just to share a living space with me." Quinn sighted. "I'm not a criminal. I don't have a file. I will pay my part of rent regularly. I won't steal your food."

Rachel eyed her suspiciously. Just food?

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Or anything else."

"Let me just ask a couple."

"Five."

"Twenty."

"Ten."

"Deal."

And that is how Rachel Berry found out that Quinn Fabray was a sneaky little thing. She had the ability to avoid answering questions in such a professional manner that Rachel wouldn't even notice it untill it was too late. At the end of their meeting she knew that Quinn was studying English literature and that her favorite ice cream flavor was cookie.

She was frustrated with herself. How did she let this happen? Out of the ten questions she got two legitimate answers.

She also had a check to pay and her spare keys were now gone.

She was in for adventure.


End file.
